Amalgamating-machine.



No. 697,!77. Patented Apr. 8, |902. G. C. SCOTT.`

AMALGAMATIN'G MACHINE.

(Application led Aug. 23! 1901.3

(llo Model.)

" ATTORNEY.

UNTTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERARD O. SCOTT, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

AlJlALGAMATlNG-NIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 697,177, dated April 8, 1902.

i Application filed August 23, 1901. Serial Nol 72.987- (No modelJ To @ZZ whom t Hefty concern:

Be it known that I, GERARD O. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovementin Amalgamating-Machines, of which the followingis a specitication.

My invention relates to the improvement of amalgamating-machines5 and the objects of my invention are to provide an improved amalgamatingmachine wherein the external casing and itslflnclosed parts are subjected to a rotary motion, to so form and construct my improved machine as to prevent the clogging or packing of the ore-pulp or heavier portions thereof in the inner end of the machine, to provide improved means for uniformly carrying the pulp through the machine -and subjecting the same to the action of mercuriallytreated amalgamating-surfaces, to so construct my improved machine as to necessitate the employment of a comparatively small quantity of mercury, and to produce other improvements the details of construction and arrangement of parts of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects Iaccomplishin the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of my machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line :r of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a view showing a partial end view and partial section ofone of the tubes which I employ in the manner hereinafter described.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention I employ a casing 1, the body of which tapers to a substantially truncated-cone form, this body or main casing portion terminating in a conelike extension 2, the taper or inclination of which is more acute than that of said body. The body thus formed is adapted to be mounted upon suitable rollers 3,one or both of which is adapted to be rotated and through such rotation and through frctional contact with the casing 1 is adapted to impart rotary motion to the latter. However, it is obvious that any well-known means may be employed for imparting rotary motion to the casing. From the closed inner and larger end 1:L ofthe casing 1 projects centrally a tubular inlet or short pipe-arm 4, the latter being journaled or rotatably mounted in the end of a pulpsupply pipe 5. In order to keep the joint thus formed clear or prevent the same from becoming clogged With the material which passes from the supply-pipe 5 into the casing 1, I may provide a valve-controlled Water-inlet pipe 6, which communicates with the joint thus effected between the portions 4 and 5 and through which Water may be made to pass under desirable pressure. The end disk 1 is provided in its outer portion with the desired number of openings orhand-holes 7, which are adapted to be temporarily closed by suitable cover-plates 8. On the inner side of the end plate 1a and at a suitable distance therefrom I provide an internal head or partition-disk 9, While a similar although smaller head 10 is provided at the outer end of the body portion 1 of the casing. These heads 9 and l0 are provided adjacent to their outer portions with openings 1l, these openings being connected by a series of inclined or converging tubes 12, said tubes having open ends, and thus being made to communicate with the spaces on the outer sides of the heads 9 and 10. The outer head 10 has projecting therefrom and extending Within the conical extension 2 of the casing a cone-like projection 13, this projection being for the sake of clearness shown in elevation in Fig. 1 of the drawings. On the inner side of the conical extension 2 I provide at desired intervals inwardly-proj ectin g blades or ribs 14. The tubular bodies 12 may be of iron or other suitable material, and within each of said tubular bodies and extending throughout the length thereof I provide separated copper tubes 15 of varying sizes, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. These copper tubes are suitably held one from the other in their proper relative positions, this support being' preferably accomplished through the medium of end spiders or frames 16, which are arranged to fit snugly Within the ends of the tubes 12.

The outlet or smaller end of the casing 2 is journ aled Within the flaring laterally-proj ecting mouth portion 17 of a vertical tailingsontlet pipe 1S, the latter extending to a height above the top of the casing 1. .As indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, this tailings-outlet pipe 18 may be provided with a vertically- IOO journaled screw conveyer or carrier 19, to which rotary motion may be communicated in any suitable manner, or, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, by providing the screw-conveyer shaft with a bevel-gear pinion- 20, with which gears a bevel-Wheel 21, carried on a power-shaft 22. It is obvious that, if desired, the joint between the casing eXtension 2 and outlet-mouth 17 may have leading thereto a stream of live water under pressure, as prescribed for the joint of the inlet projection 4 and feed-pipe 5.

As indicated by the dotted lines at 23, the lower portion of the casing is designed to contain a body of mercury, and in the rotation of the casing 1, together with its tubes 12, it is obvious that said tubes and their internal amalgamating sections l5 are successively subjected to the action of the mercury, each of said tubes being thus treated at each revolutivonl of the casing.

The casing being rotated and the ore-pulp beingr fed into said casing through the inlet or feed projection 4 under pressure, it will be understood that said pulp will be carried through the tubes 12 and in contact with the mercurially-treated inner tube-sections 15. Owing to the inclination of the casing and the corresponding inclination of the tubes 12 and the fact that the su rface of the body of mercury is necessarily horizontal, it is obvious that the innerends of said tubes must 4enter the mercury Iirst and that the pulp or material contained in the tubes must during the descent of the latter into the mercury` bev gradually displaced by the heavier body of mercury until such material is delivered into the outlet end ot' the machine. In this manner it will be understood that the heavier particles or portions of the pulp which might otherwise tend to accumulate in the lower and inner portion of the` machine will thus be forced to pass through the mercuriallytreated tube-sections 15, this operation in conjunction with the passageof the pulp through, the upper tubes by force of gravity resulting in a comparatively uniform travel of the pulp over the amalgamating-surfaces. The tailings or the material which has thus passed through the tubes following the surfaces ot' the cone extension 13 and blades or ribs 14 is directed into the mouth of the outlet-pipe 18, through which said tailings are forced or carried to a desirable point of deposit. By the employment of the blades 14 it will be understood that means are provided for preventing the dropping of the tailings toward the bottom of the casing extension 2 and insuringtheir being fed outward.

Although the axis of the machine or casing herein shown and described is illustrated as extending at right angles with a vertical position, it is obvious that the machine might be tipped, if desired, to any desired position, the tipping of the same toward its forward end resulting in a decrease in the amount of mercury required.

From the construction herein shown and described it will be seen that by opening the hand-holes 7 access may be gained to the tubes 12, thus permitting the removal when desired of the connected amalgamating tubesections 15. It is evident that in a machine such as herein shown and described the orepulp which passes therethrough will not only be subjected to a comparatively large area of amalgamating-surface, but that the mercurial treatment of these amalgamating surfaces is eftected by the employment of a comparatively small quantity of mercury.

Although the tubular bodies 12 and the-inner tube-sections 15 are shown as cylindrical, it is obvious that these bodies might be angular or otherwise formed in cross-section, it preferred.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an amalgamator, the combination with a casing having inlet and outlet openings, said casing adapted to contain a body of mercury in the lower portion thereof and rotatably mounted independently-arranged orepulp conductors Within said casing, said conductors being so arranged as to insure one of their ends being retained at a higher plane than the opposite end during their passage through the lower 'arc of their revolutionary cycle, and amalgamating material within said conductors, substantially as specified.

GERARD C. SCOTT.

In presence of- C. C. SHEPHERD, A. L. PHELPs. 

